Contributors

Help offered in Phuket, Thailand during late Jan

My husband and I were panning a vacation in Phuket, Thailand for January 15-30. In light of the awful events, we decided we'll still go and volunteer in any way we can. We have dear friends in India and Thailand and feel so fortunate that no one we love was lost. We want to help those who are suffering.

As for our skills: We've both got some backcountry medicine skills-- but are not doctors. We're writers/editors/teachers, in our 30s and fit, and we've both lived in third world countries, have good organizational/leadership skills, and have build houses with Habitat for Humanity. We know it'll be tough and we are ready to help any way that's needed. If anyone knows how civilians can get involved and assist, and what help is most needed, please contact us: megan_ga29@hotmail.com or brianshott@hotmail.com

We're also getting in touch with World Vision, CARE, Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders.

For those of you in Australia cleanskins.com have setup their Wine Website with two fundraisers that will donate 10% of sales to recognised relief funds.

If you are a wine drinker and want to donate you can simply go to http://www.cleanskins.com , order wine and put in the words "victimsappeal" (red cross) or "crisisappeal" (oxfam) as a promotional code.

Please let anyone organising parties or weddings over summer that this is a good cause.

Me and 2 friends would like to volunteer to help in Phuket and then to Aceh. We will be in Phuket this weekend and then to Aceh anytime from there to help for a few months.I have volunteered previously in childcare and also counseling work. Veronica has First Aid experience and Joe has numerous volunteer work with mainly AIDS and disabled children in Africa and Middle East. We would really like to help out in relief work and look forward tohearing from your organization.

Hello I saw your blog and thought perhaps you could help me: I am an American residing in Alaska with a long term keen interest in survival skills. I see on the news that in the next few days/weeks one of the most important things the survivors need is good drinking water. There is an extremely easy way to obtain good clean drinking water from living vegetation by placing clear plastic bags over non-posionous branches of trees and bushes, sealing the clear bag shut around the bush branch and then letting the sun heat the inside up which will transpire water out of the plant which collects(condenses) on the inside of the bag and runs down towards the bottom where it can be collected and then used over and over. By placing many of the these clear bags over the ends of branches a lot of water can be collected in a matter of hours. I don't know how important this technique could be- perhaps other methods are already being used that are better, but if not I wish there was a way to get this out to those desperatly in need............. can you help? James